Shades of 9/11: Lest we forget that “America’s Mayor” was all over the media following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Rudy Giuliani has identified Americans’ abiding fear of terrorists in our midst as an issue on which to base his campaign for prez. He was talking tough yesterday in New Hampshire:

“If any Republican is elected president — and I think obviously I would be the best at this — we will remain on offense and will anticipate what [the terrorists] will do and try to stop them before they do it,” Giuliani said.

The former New York City mayor, currently leading in all national polls for the Republican nomination for president, said Tuesday night that America would ultimately defeat terrorism no matter which party gains the White House.

“But the question is how long will it take and how many casualties will we have?” Giuliani said. “If we are on defense [with a Democratic president], we will have more losses and it will go on longer.”

“I listen a little to the Democrats and if one of them gets elected, we are going on defense,” Giuliani continued. “We will wave the white flag on Iraq. We will cut back on the Patriot Act, electronic surveillance, interrogation and we will be back to our pre-Sept. 11 attitude of defense.”

That seems to indicate that Rudy would approve a broader Patriot Act (don’t go to the library, kids), more electronic surveillance (speak clearly into the receiver) and more interrogation (getcher waterboard ready, boys). Giuliani builds up to a cresendo, we assume from the flaming rhetoric, with flying spit and everything:

“This war ends when they stop coming here to kill us!” Giuliani said in his speech. “Never, ever again will this country ever be on defense waiting for [terrorists] to attack us if I have anything to say about it. And make no mistake, the Democrats want to put us back on defense!”

Giuliani said terrorists “hate us and not because of anything bad we have done; it has nothing to do with Israel and Palestine. They hate us for the freedoms we have and the freedoms we want to share with the world.”

Giuliani continued: “The freedoms we have are in conflict with the perverted, maniacal interpretation of their religion.” He said Americans would fight for “freedom for women, the freedom of elections, freedom of religion and the freedom of our economy.”

Addressing the terrorists directly, Giuliani said: “We are not giving that up, and you are not going to take it from us!”

Good show, Rudy. Maybe that hardline act will make your fellow Repugs forget that you have favored a woman’s right to choose an abortion, supported gay rights and, when it comes to the sanctity of marriage, you’ve got the morals of a ferret.